Are gym staff meant to monitor CCTV instead of the gym floor?

[Goldielocks2p22]

I use a large nationwide gym chain and one of the main reasons is the 24-hour access, which I really like. But during staffed hours, I’ve started noticing a pattern that just feels off.

Most of the PTs seem to be sat in the office watching CCTV rather than being out on the gym floor. Then out of nowhere, they’ll come storming across the gym to pull members up on rules like having a bag or a jacket with them, or follow up with emails afterwards instead. Meanwhile, the actual gym floor is a mess with weights left everywhere and no real presence from staff to manage it.

I even got an email last week saying I hadn’t put a deadlift bar away properly… I don’t even deadlift. So clearly they’ve mistaken me for someone else. It just made me think, you’d probably know your members better if you were actually out on the floor interacting with people.

Genuinely curious, is this what gyms are like now or is it just mine?

They're just being lazy. Acting like security guards instead of gym workers. If they were on the floor they'd have to answer questions or demo the equipment etc. and even speak to people?!

It's bollocks really the notion of 'PT's all skulking in offices cramming in junk food and sending weird emails mistaking people for others instead of visibly promoting physical exercise and wellbeing.

I have heard PT’s in mine refuse to demo equipment unless you book a session in with them

I’ve been a member at a ‘council’ gym, the Village and David Lloyd the last 4 years and the only one with staff members actively out on the gym floor being useful was the ‘council’ one.

Admittedly when they’re with clients the ‘PTs’ are on the floor at DL and Villge but the prices you pay I expected someone to be around to tidy up etc.

Think it’s a thing of the past.

The gym I go to have moved the office from the gym to the downstairs reception area, they are never on the gym floor. I was struggling with how to use a machine last week, before I would have popped into the office and they would come out to help, now I have to book a paid PT session to get that information!

That’s terrible. I don’t know what the options are in your area but if that were me and there was another option, I’d leave. My gym is small and friendly. The PTs are usually either with clients on the floor or delivering a class, with one manning reception. The one on reception is always happy to help. The others are friendly and will help between clients but obvs not during a session. We can book free demo/programming sessions.

Reply to the email saying you don’t deadlift and it was someone else
whilst we’re in about equipment being left out I think is contributed to be the lack of a staff presence on the gym floor

I’d be finding a new gym.

Limited gym options which is why they get away with it.

Seems to be a sign of the times PT’s charging to show people machines and being sat in an office.

I did tell them it wasn’t me and asked to see the CCTV which they can’t show for GDPR reasons apparently. The manager said he would take it on board it wasn’t me

Mine is "council" - Everyone Active. Great big gym, reception desk inside the door. Never anyone at the desk, the only time you see PTs is when they are actually training someone so you can't speak to them. Induction is via watching a set of videos at home. They do sometimes run free taster sessions but really as a marketing tool for paid sessions, not as an induction. It's poor. I stick with it because of the pool and because the classes and instructors are good but much preferred the gym in the old days under the previous operators when you got a proper in person gym induction and there were always instructors present in the gym and they could help you update your routine, try new equipment etc.

I'm also at a large nation wide gym probably the same as yours but I have the opposite experience. There's 3 PT which you book and have sessions with and they aren't really anything to do with the gym as such you book with them directly. Then there are 3 staff members who are mainly in the office but do wonder around and are always available to ask questions or fir advice. Even the cleaners are helpful at 6am and there's noone else about to ask!